Hall A3, Booth A3-3101
Germany's Arburg GmbH + Co KG and a Swiss partner developed a way to processes "paper pearls" made of fiber and a bio-based plastic and it's finding its way onto factory floors in the furniture and packaging industries.
The pearls have a fiber content of more than 50 percent that is combined with a plastic material to become not only injection moldable but compostable at the end of its life cycle.
There is no need for any petroleum-based plastics, according to Arburg officials, who began working on the new concept about two years ago keeping manufacturers seeking more sustainable products in mind.
The machine builder partnered with Model Group, a Swiss paper and cardboard packaging manufacturer, to develop pearls that could be reliably processed on standard Allrounders instead of plastic granules.
Early adopters recognized that combing a traditional material like paper with modern injection molding technology could open the door to a wide range of more environmentally friendly products, according to Luca Simon, Arburg's applications manager circular economy.
"You could use a bioplastic based on sugar or corn. It's flexible and the choice depends on the application and whether you want the part rigid or flexible," Simon said.
Since this capability is in the early stage of development, right now paper pearls would be more expensive than other materials.